Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Vladimir Putin: “It is necessary to make sure that no utility company tries to line its pockets at the public’s expense”
The prime minister demanded at the Government Presidium that the regions be in control of utility rates; he also promised to visit the Olympic site in Sochi
Last Thursday, the Government Presidium meeting was held in a cheerful atmosphere – the ministers vied for the chance to boast about their achievements. The first speaker, Minister of Healthcare and Social Development Tatyana Golikova, noted that in the first nine months of 2011 the overall mortality rate had decreased by 5.9%. Russians have been dying from cancer, heart attacks, strokes and tuberculosis less frequently.
After hearing the healthcare minister's report, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin asked Dmitry Kozak:
"Mr Kozak, how is work progressing in Sochi? Test competitions are scheduled for next year, aren't they? Tell us about the events. Maybe we'll take part in them too."
Mr Kozak reported that the downhill ski slopes would welcome skiers in February, and then a little later the biathlonists. He also said that they would hold international ski jump competitions this summer.
"You need practice," said the prime minister. "We can do the whole programme, except for one event. We won't be doing any ski jumping. I jumped once and don't wish to do it again."
"Awhile back I told the Olympic contractors that if they didn't do their work on time or there were serious violations, they would have to do the ski jump themselves. No candidates for the ski jump so far," said Mr Kozak.
Following the downhill ski slope discussion, the prime minister addressed rural roads. Putin said they had not allocated funds for the construction of rural roads in several years (it was a municipal and regional responsibility). This year, five billion roubles was allocated to the regions which had been actively investing in road construction.
"How efficiently are these funds being used?" the prime minister asked the Minister of Agriculture Yelena Skrynnik.
The minister said that the funds allocated from the budget would be used to build 550 km of rural roads and connect 270 villages. Before 2013, another 18 billion roubles will be allocated for rural road construction by Moscow and the regions.
Vladimir Putin noted that the funds from the federal budget were allocated not only for rural roads, but also to assist Rosatom in the purchase of assets last year. Sergei Kiriyenko assured Mr Putin that the investments proved their value: Rosatom purchased uranium deposits in Canada, Australia and Namibia. The Russian company also bought 20% of the reserves in America.
"We have fully met our uranium requirements," said Kiriyenko. "We won't need a single extra gram of uranium because we have enough reserves for a hundred years into the future."
The Fukushima disaster has caused the nuclear power industry to worry about orders – the entire world has begun thinking twice about nuclear generated energy. But these fears have not materialised: late last year contracts for the construction of 12 units were signed, with one of them, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Station, already launched.
Participants at the Presidium meeting also discussed the never-ending utilities issues. Today, the regional authorities can regulate the prices for residential utility services, said Putin. He added that they should be controlled, so the prices are legitimate rather than spun out of thin air.
"On the whole, the regional authorities should monitor the housing and utilities sector, making sure that no utility company tries to line its pockets at the public's expense," stressed the prime minster.
Nina Kuzmina
